


for you i would ruin myself (a million little times)

by sugarsanayeonie



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Workplace Relationship, i really thought this was going to be shorter, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26661166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarsanayeonie/pseuds/sugarsanayeonie
Summary: They live in a world where people are valued based on their empathy, the less empathetic one is, the higher they are on the ladder of society. Nayeon is a part of the higher class and Dahyun is part of the lower class who, unfortunately, fell in love with Nayeon.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Kim Dahyun
Comments: 8
Kudos: 128





	for you i would ruin myself (a million little times)

She takes another sip - the fifth one of this hour to be exact - of her ristretto, when she comes across another error in a submitted report. She’s beyond mentally exhausted at the mere sight of her subordinates’ incompetence -- this isn’t the only time this has happened. Carrying the entire department on her shoulders is beginning to take its toll on her health, technically speaking from the perspective of somebody who doesn’t take the time to take care of herself properly.

That’s why Jihyo had helpfully suggested for her to get a replacement for her incompetent secretary to filter out some noise. It’s not shocking for the newbie to fail to show, as once you’re aware of Im Nayeon’s reign of terror, one might just get a heart attack on the spot. In fact, Nayeon’s quite flattered by this. Nobody who tends to the weak-hearted should ever get a financially stable job that’s higher up on the social ladder. It was only natural that Nayeon came out on top.

She’s about to take her sixth sip when there’s a timid knock on her office door, followed by echoing silence. The door slides open with a soft click and an abnormally slow push, a woman with a petite frame walks in as her heels click against the marbled floor.

“Miss Im?”

///

When Dahyun got called for the job, she was a little more than surprised. She’d expected to be called back from the bookstore owner, telling her she’d be coming in the next day, except that hadn’t been the case at all. The location they’d sent her led her all the way to Im Industries, right in the dead centre of Seoul. At first Dahyun had thought it was a hoax -- Chaeyoung on the other hand, assumed she’d quote ‘been hired for purposes of intimacy’ which a bright red Dahyun replied to with a smack on her arm -- however it was indeed the real thing.

The elevator to the top floor was nothing short of intense too, business figures of all sorts eyeing her with a look of disgust -- which was expected of somebody from her class.

The moment of truth comes when she pulls the sliding doors open to the woman’s office. Im Nayeon -- She Who Must Not Be Named. Dahyun knew she should’ve at least prepared for a better greeting, or a more presentable appearance, instead all her thoughts were shaken away by the sight she was met with.

Indeed, it’s Miss Im, surrounded by her demeaning aura and steely gaze -- matching black pencil skirt and blouse and all -- pursing her lips in consideration. Dahyun instantly notices the mood change, defenseless prey left with a blood-hungry predator as her new boss closes in on her, inspecting her every detail, “How old are you, Miss Kim?”

“Sorry?” Nayeon only impatiently waits for a relevant reply, chin turned up as she looks down on her new secretary. Dahyun forces a confident smile, “Twenty two, Miss Im.”

A lengthy sigh, ‘What the hell are you thinking, Park?’, she inwardly says to herself, pinching the space between her brows, “Get started on these, and do not disturb me unless you’re finished with every single one,” She hands her a stack of papers, enough to go up to Dahyun’s neck while she cradles them in her arms.

“Of course, Miss Im,” She bows politely, then walks off.

Nayeon can’t help but click her tongue, returning to her desk and shuffling through her file cabinet. With the flick of her fingers, she picks out the right ones from all the other dossiers of her subordinates; one in particular labelled with ‘Kim Dahyun’ as she pulls it out and investigates the document.

///

Turns out, Jihyo, in fact, both does know and not know what she’d just unleashed to Nayeon. Above all things, Jihyo is her closest confidant and is fully aware of Nayeon’s cold ways. The system gets to everybody, whether they be high or low on the ladder. Except, Nayeon takes this especially seriously -- in short, she looks down upon those below her, and backs herself up with an ‘As I should’.

Jihyo had just successfully pissed the great Im Nayeon off, by supplying her with a secretary of the lower class. Half of this is mainly Nayeon’s fault, as she should’ve predicted the woman would do something this despicable. All she could do at this moment, is sit back and ultimately find a reason to fire the little minx.

On the other hand, Dahyun’s positive that even the slightest mistake could ruin her boss’ day. She’s been around for a few days to notice the regular and the irregular happenings, namely, the ones that consist of muffled conversations with her subordinates that ends up with the latter whether man or woman hanging their head low and defeatedly dragging their feet out the door. A few minutes later, Dahyun would see the same person pack up their things all in a cardboard box as another cubicle is left emptied. 

She’s extra cautious to double-check, even triple-check, each sheet and each file with attention to any detail before returning it to the raven-haired woman in her office. It’s especially difficult to even maintain eye contact with her, eyes shifting to anywhere but at her. This, of course, proves to be fallible, as Miss Im will not only hold her for a significant amount of time, but also refrain from allowing her to leave before she says so.

“Miss Kim,” Nayeon starts, tone low and curious, “Are my eyes on the ground?”

She snaps her head up to meet her superior’s dark and alluring eyes, “No, Miss Im.”

“If that happens again, I’ll see to it myself that you get your eyes checked,” With a click of her tongue, her boss gets up from her seat as her body faces her secretary, bringing a hand up to her subordinate’s face -- quite easy for her to do as she’s all frozen in place. She reaches for Dahyun’s flimsy glasses, taking them in her own hands before examining them with a scoff. “Terrible quality, really. It’s laughable how thick these are.”

Dahyun knows her vision’s quite bad and she isn’t sensitive about it, but hearing it from her boss only makes her heat up, “I can’t afford new ones yet.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Nayeon neatly folds her glasses down, hooking them right on the neckline of Dahyun’s blouse, “I couldn’t care less about your attire, Miss Kim, I’m only demanding the bare minimum of your job; that is to look me in the eye when you speak to me.”

“Have I made myself clear, Miss Kim?” Dahyun pushes herself to look straight into Nayeon’s, the swirling orbs of chocolate absentmindedly making her quickly swipe her own lip.

“Yes, Miss Im.”

The first few weeks go by like a breeze, Dahyun’s getting the hang of this pretty quickly. Getting Nayeon’s schedules down has so far been the toughest thing, it isn’t as bad as she’d initially thought. Although Dahyun does make the tiniest mishaps whenever she glances at Miss Im for too long from her own cubicle, watching the woman work so diligently while her face remains focused in a pout -- she often finds it hard to pull her gaze away.

One day in the late afternoon, Nayeon calls her in for a peculiar task. Prior to this, Dahyun knows she’s been overworking the past few days. It’s been incredibly hectic and it seems everybody’s working to meet a unanimous deadline. 

You can imagine Dahyun’s anticipation building when the woman finally decides to enlighten her, she flashes a quick look of annoyance aimed toward her screen, “How good are you at acting, Miss Kim?” Dahyun’s been around long enough to decipher her tone; it’s sharp, she’s brewing something up.

“Acting?”

“Don’t tell me you’re hard of hearing now,” Nayeon lets out a sigh, “Is that a yes or a no?”

“Er- yes?”

“Hard to believe that coming from you, except there’s nobody else who’s capable right now so I’m afraid you’ll have to do it,” An off-handed comment like that is sure to make Dahyun gulp, but she’s quite used to these insults ever since she’d started working with Miss Im, letting out an amused smirk and an eye roll instead. After all, Dahyun’s rather thick-skinned. “I’ll need you to help me with an important task after work today.”

///

A fancy dinner date wasn’t what Dahyun had in mind, though. The date isn’t with her boss, it’s with a businessman. Nayeon had strictly instructed her to act as her bodyguard, dress and all, for this occasion. Why she couldn’t just hire her own, Dahyun doesn’t get, but she goes along with it anyway.

The room is of a private meeting, surrounded by decorative sources of yellow lighting and a variety of furniture sporting different shades of deep red. A man clad in a dashing black suit walks in and takes his seat opposite Nayeon, offering a small bow before doing so, all while Dahyun stands behind the velvet couch observing the meeting from a comfortable distance. Once the two begin talking, laughing and drinking, it drags on for about an hour or two before, quite strangely, Nayeon calls Dahyun over.

The woman’s dressed in matching attire of the man across from her -- eyeing her quite inappropriately for Dahyun’s liking -- a black dress perfectly hugging her every curve. She turns her head over her shoulder to her secretary, “Dahyun, baby, come join us will you?”

Nayeon had never once called her by her first name, let alone a term of endearment. Dahyun’s utterly confused -- and unbelievably flushed all of a sudden -- but holds her composure to come sit by Nayeon’s side as she gestures for her to come closer, her hand snaking up her clothed waist so subtle that it takes a while for Dahyum to notice.

“Quite rude of you not to invite your date to sit with us, no, Im?” The man laughs, raising his glass to the woman who’d just joined them.

_Date?_

She reciprocates with a low chuckle, “Well, she’d insisted on not interfering with our dealmaking,” Nayeon’s hand easily glides further up Dahyun’s spine, feeling her warm breath graze her nape, “Isn’t that right, babe?”

A silent demand comes from Nayeon’s eyes as she catches her gaze, responding immediately Dahyun puts on a smile, “Yes, that’s right, Sir.”

The realisation hits once Dahyun notices the way the man’s vision flits between her and Nayeon, an ominous expression in play while he bites his lips -- then she registers a surge of anger. Her once neutral face morphs into a slight frown, shrugging Nayeon’s arm away with her own. Nayeon’s expression is set in a state of confusion of her own. Almost immediately, Dahyun excuses herself from the situation.

Nayeon must admit, it was quite shallow of her to assume the woman would be so lenient after she’d initially twisted the truth. All her other secretaries and subordinates similarly stuck to that notion. Nobody had ever questioned her ways; she was the boss, they were the followers -- and followers follow.

But instead, Nayeon finds her steps leading the way to the restroom where her secretary had run off to, bursting the doors open to look for Dahyun.

“Miss Kim, come out this instant,” Nayeon orders, tone firm and steady.

Dahyun emerges from the stall, white dress still on full display as she eyes her boss with an accusatory gaze. If she isn’t mistaken, Dahyun just might be glaring at her.

Nayeon gives a curt nod of her head, “You embarrassed me out there, Miss Kim, in front of a potential partner. Why couldn’t you just play along like I told you-”

“Obviously because I didn’t know what was going on,” Dahyun cuts her off, “You could’ve consulted with me beforehand, Miss Im.”

Even the mighty Im Nayeon has her downfalls; nobody is invincible. A subordinate just talked back to her, her own boss. And she’s completely taken aback. “Are you starting an argument with me? I’ll have you know, I’ll fire you if I have to-”

“Ma’am, with all due respect, didn’t you think for a second that it would be deceiving me because of the fact that you tried to mask your true intentions?” Dahyun retorts, “I may be your employee, but I think I deserve the right to know what my boss plans to do with me.”

She doesn’t realise how much of an innuendo her sentence had just sounded like, tinges of annoyance simmering her features. Dahyun may be overly passive, but she will cease to let this one slide, no matter how her boss’ expression currently wears the most subtly neutral face as Dahyun thinks she’s about to be told off. She watches Nayeon's plump red lips part ever so slightly, Dahyun licking her own lips absentmindedly as she does so. 

A quick transformation goes about in the hint of a smirk being adorned on Nayeon’s face, as she leans back against the marbled sink, “I didn’t think you’d have the gut to scold me for something I’d consider quite minor, Miss Kim. If I’m being completely honest, it's quite attractive to see you all worked up over a measly dinner.”

What she fails to predict, is how her boss lifts herself off the counter, inching toward her with the most alluring sway of her hips. Before she knows it, her back is already pressed up against the tiled wall, coming into contact with her skin due to the backless white dress she wears. Dahyun lets out a gasp at the coolness, at the same time, she’s unable to figure out why she can’t pull her eyes away from the woman’s lips. 

“I only have one problem with you, Miss Kim,” Nayeon starts, a low and humming vibration present in her voice -- even more accentuated by their close proximity, “Your words are strong, your confidence is what bothers me. You still fail to look me in the eyes. I feel like I’d be more convinced -- dare I say, intimidated even.”

And at that, Dahyun’s gaze drifts upwards, her boss’ eyes as equally as alluring as times past -- ones that hold immense power if one happens to accidentally lock eyes with the woman, ones that could easily eat at her late at night, one’s so brown and mesmerizing.

“That’s better,” Her voice hangs in the air, only slightly above a whisper. Then she pulls away from the poor girl, “I suppose I’ll take your words into.. consideration. I’m open to all criticism, after all.”

What a blatant lie, Dahyun thinks, but she grins nonetheless. She doesn’t think the woman would be changing her habits anytime soon. But there’s no reason Dahyun should care, right?

“Feel free to sit by my side for the remainder of this dinner, I’ll refrain from touching you inappropriately or in situations you deem unfit. Just don’t lose the confidence, Miss Kim,” Dahyun trails behind her as they leave the bathroom with the rest of the night ahead of her -- her mind lingers at the peculiar falter she’d noticed during the odd moment they’ve just shared.

///

A few months into the job, they’re greeted with a new employee, Chou Tzuyu, a foreigner from Taiwan. It’s no surprise she’s already well-liked in their department -- she’s awfully nice, demure and the dominating factor to the hopeless men out there, is that she’s crazy gorgeous. In fact, Dahyun would say they’ve gotten along pretty well. After hours, they often have nice dinners at the nearby diner, ‘The Slinky’. It might seem like a dull name, but they serve one of the best wing platters, Dahyun has ever had the luxury of tasting.

Work ends in an hour, but she stops by Tzuyu’s cubicle anyway, just to get in some quick chatter as she’s pretty much done with every task Nayeon’s given her -- she’s pretty much already gotten a hang of the patterns of the workload given to her. The woman appears to also be elsewhere, as nobody appears to be present in the office, the lights being turned out and the blinds shut. 

“No, I really think she’s just like that,” Dahyun answers, trying to restrain her laughing with softened giggling instead.

“She seems pretty nice, though. It’s a shame we rarely have team-building activities together, that way we’d really get to know her as our boss better, don’t you think?” Tzuyu takes a sip of her coffee -- as to why she prefers having a caffeinated beverage in the evening, Dahyun could never understand. 

Dahyun has never really thought about seeing Nayeon at any places other than in the workplace, the idea only seems.. off to her, “I mean it’s a given that she’s just busier than most of us.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Of course, would the woman even be interested in physical activities with her subordinates? It’s kind of what people like them would think, right?”

“Are you talking about her standing on the social ladder?”

“Exactly. Isn’t that why there’s so much stigma between people like us and people like her?”

“-- Dahyun..” Tzuyu tries to get the woman’s attention, but she’s too far gone in her great rant.

“This entire system is stupid. Why should people who care so little for others be offered a VIP spot in life? I really don’t see the point, Tzuyu.”

“Dahyun..” Tzuyu stresses with more volume, but it’s no use. Instead, her friend picks up her coffee cup, raising it in the air as her voice pushes through in the awkward air. She fails to register numerous eyes watching the scene before them.

Nayeon clears her throat, loud enough for the entire office to hear, “Miss Kim, I do hope you’ll provide me with an explanation as to what you’re doing away from your desk,” Dahyun whirls around instantly, forgetting the fact that she has Tzuyu’s rather full coffee in hand.

And it goes everywhere, the carpeted gray floors, a little splatter reaching the stall behind Nayeon and also -- if not the worst damage that she’d done -- some clings to the front of her boss’ white blouse, now stained with a noticeable brown going from her chest to the bottom of her stomach.

_Shit._

Tzuyu closes her eyes at the sight, cradling her head in her hands. Dahyun’s eyes are glued to her ruined shirt. Im Nayeon’s ruined shirt. She can already feel herself playing, mouth open wide enough for a baseball to come flying in. 

“I- uhm- Miss Im-”

“My office, Miss Kim. Right now.”

///

Unluckily for Dahyun’s anxiety, Nayeon doesn’t even speak to her when she shuts the door to her closed office. Blinds still shut, but lights tnow turned on. Nayeon had just gone to excuse herself -- wordlessly, if she may add -- to the bathroom, coming out in a blue blouse, the ruined shirt hung on the crook of her elbow, as her once untied hair is now tied in a loose bun.

The woman ruffles through her file cabinet, pulling out multiple files to place on her desk as Dahyun silently watches her do so. 

“Before we proceed, Miss Kim, do tell me what point you were trying to make with your little speech of yours?” Unamused. Simply put, Nayeon isn’t even the least bit furious at her for staining the white blouse with a price tag worth more than Dahyun’s life.

“Forgive me, Miss Im. I had no idea you were there,” The steep incline of Dahyun’s bow draws out a soft exhale from Nayeon’s nose. 

“Do you think that changes anything you’ve said? You aren’t in trouble, just tell me exactly what you wanted to say. I want to hear it straight from you.”

Dahyun starts again, collecting words and rearranging phrases to try and make it seem.. respectful, despite its initial tone, “I just don’t find the system fair, that is all. There’s nothing to it, Miss Im. It’s a personal issue of mine and I know I shouldn’t let my emotions get the better of me, especially in the workplace,” She pauses to survey Nayeon’s reaction -- nothing but a hooded stare, “Please, don’t drag Tzuyu- I mean- Miss Chou into this, Miss Im. It was my slip up.”

Nayeon twirls a pen between her fingers, raising a careful brow, “Tzuyu, is it? I see you’re on a first name basis with your superior. Quite interesting, I didn’t take you for the sneaky type, Miss Kim.”

“It’s nothing like that, I assure you,” A warmth seeps into her cheeks.

“I’ll take your word for it,” They’ve seemed to revert back to their normal ways. How Dahyun would stand by her desk, awaiting her next tasks. Her signature glasses perched on the bridge of her nose like a school librarian, ~~an attractive one~~. The first time she found out Nayeon wore them, she was actually quite surprised. Wouldn’t she have enough money to pay off an eye correction? “And by the way, I’m not mad about the blouse.”

Dahyun’s suddenly sprung back into reality, “You- You’re not?”

“If anything, it was about time to throw it out. But don’t think you’re off the hook, Miss Kim,” She takes the files laid across the table and sprawls them out one by one, “You’re conversation with Miss Chou intrigued me, not to say that it’s a remarkable idea, I’m only curious as to how it will turn out. Here are the files for our previous team-building activities, we’ve never had them before as I didn’t see the need for such childish games. However, if it ends up benefiting us,” Nayeon looks back up at the woman staring the files down with the most concentrated look on her pretty little face, “I’ll reconsider holding a grudge against you and your fantastical beliefs.”

“Is this.. what are you saying?” Dahyun can’t believe what she’s hearing. What kind of boss makes a bet with her assistant?

“I value competitive spirit in this company. Each one of my subordinates have earned a place in this office. This is only a test for whether or not you belong by my side, Miss Kim,” A few weeks into her job as Nayeon’s assistant, Dahyun’s heard circulating rumors of how each one of her assistants have resigned, or have been mercilessly fired by her own hand. And up until now, Dahyun can now say she’s sure of why they have, “Of course, you have the freedom to decline.”

It’s almost devilish, the way she’s eyeing Dahyun down; a silent dare for how she’s royally ruthless.

“One more thing,” Nayeon adds, “If I’m proven to be correct, you have to do something I want.”

Dahyun unwillingly raises a brow at this. There are stakes too? What are they highschoolers with a score to settle? Dahyun does not like where this is headed at all.

“And you, Miss Kim?”

Dahyun, feigns her obliviousness, “I haven’t said I’ll do it yet, have I, Miss Im?”

“Then if you were to accept, what would be on the line?”

The playful sparkle in her eyes nearly makes Dahyun back down. Nearly.

“You have to admit you were wrong,” There aren’t any words to describe the deafening quietude that follows, “And not treat your subordinates like toys.”

“Well, that’s definitely something I wasn’t expecting, Miss Kim,” The smirk adorned on her features says more than what’s necessary, “Very well, I agree to your terms. So what’ll it be?”

///

In all her life, Dahyun’s never been on a luxury cruise. She’s never got what all the fuss is about concerning a floating piece of metal that resembles that of a hotel, the only difference being her low tolerance toward seasickness. Dahyun’s actually kind of grateful that Miss Im offered to pay for everything exclusive of food and drinks -- her reason was because she trusts nobody to make the deadline -- as her bank account is taking a lot of blows from rent alone. At least she’d have a fun getaway with a few of her colleagues.

She’s chosen light attire for a 3 day team-building trip, a striped button up that she’s begun to grow fond of, tied at its ends, and a pair of beige, knee-length pants. She figured if they were going to actually be doing some activities, might as well be prepared for the worst. They’re all scattered in a bunch of different places along the lounging area, some of her other louder male colleagues at the pool table like rowdy teens, while some of the ladies like Dahyun and Tzuyu head over to the back with a huge panel of glass facing the deck.

A bunch of them are discussing the sudden change of plans from Miss Im, how she did a 180 about team-building activities and planned out an agenda for the team. It’s only the first day and Dahyun is honestly unsure of what to anticipate -- she fears competitive Nayeon, if that isn’t already her usual state, is worse when she’s actually being challenged.

The woman of the hour walks through the doorway, dressed perfectly in casual clothing -- a swerve from her regular business attire -- a black tank top and jean shorts. It’s safe to say, most of their colleagues are bewildered, plenty of them both men and women doing double takes at their boss -- respectfully, of course, they’re wise enough to know how easily their heads would be chopped off, and take it upon themselves to look away. Her presence isn’t left unnoticed after which, because it’s Nayeon herself who brings their eyes back with an announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen, I do hope you’re enjoying yourselves.”

A round of claps goes around the room, which brings no harm to bystanders as they’ve booked this room in advance thanks to theirs truly, “I’m sure you’ve all received the email, you’re free to do whatever you like up until tomorrow evening of which the team-building will commence. We aren’t kids on a field trip so I could care less about what you’ll be doing until then. Just know that I won’t be there to help you once you’re kicked off the boat,” The unintentional quip raises chuckles from the crowd, even Dahyun’s little group near the back. 

Everybody goes back to what they’re doing prior to Miss Im’s announcement, Dahyun, eyes still glued to the woman’s figure leaving to get some fresh air near the front of the dock.

“Dahyun?” Tzuyu cranes her neck toward the girl, waving a hand back and forth like a windshield wiper close to Dahyun’s face, “Did you hear what I said?”

“Huh?”

“Of course she isn’t listening,” Gahyeon kickstarts the teasing, “She’s too busy ogling our boss, Tzuyu.”

“Eh, she’s more of your type, though?” Yeri counters, a finger jabbing at her sides.

Gahyeon only snorts, “She’s everyone’s type, dude.”

“True.”

Tzuyu scrunches her nose at the thought, Dahyun laughing at her unusual reaction. She finds it in her to push away impossible thoughts, “She’s not mine.”

“Now that’s untrue. I’ve known you for several months, Dahyun and I’m pretty sure of your type,” Yeri takes a sip of her fruit cocktail -- the tiny umbrella swirling around the rim as she does.

“Oh, is that so? Hit me,” Dahyun dares her with a curious smile.

“First, and the most noticeable, you have a thing for more dominant women. The ones that love bossing you around, and I’m guessing you’ll love that just as much in the bedroo-”

“Yeah, yeah that’s enough,” Gahyeon shuts her colleague up with a watermelon slice stuffed in her mouth.

///

“Men with men, gals with gals? That’s boring.”

“Just take the damn card, Jackson,” Jihyo sighs. Jackson takes the longest to pick out the cards to their rooms placed on the table -- they’d all decided on a fun gamble so they’d have no control over the odds, and also, to bond and whatnot. It’s fairly early in the P.M and everyone’s pretty much in a rush to get drunk.

Nayeon stands next to Jihyo, eyeing out each individual card and doing the math in her head. She hasn’t taken hers yet and neither has her friend -- the chances are quite low. It was a last minute decision on Jihyo’s end to join in their mini-vacation, but it’s really only to keep her best friend in check. 

Dahyun walks up to the plate, a hesitant hand hovering over the array of silver cards before taking the one on the uppermost left. It’s quite obvious to her superior that she’d want to room with Tzuyu.

Once they dismiss and head on up to the elevators in excited bunches, Nayeon really wonders if she’s indeed a babysitter for 20 exhilarated children. Her card happens to be one of the same floor as Jihyo, they only know this as the rest file out a few people by few, completely -- and quite frustratingly -- unrevealing of their actual room numbers. The only people left are Tzuyu, Jihyo, Nayeon and.. her secretary, Kim Dahyun.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out her two employees are sharing rooms. Walking up to the number ‘506’ that’s labelled on her card as they leave the elevator, Nayeon stops to call Jihyo on the opposite side who seems to have the wrong door, “Ji, it’s this room.”

“Oh, mine says ‘516’, Nay,” Wait, what? Jihyo manages a tiny shrug at the sight of Nayeon’s confusion, “You’re rooming with someone else.”

Jihyo’s eyes drift to the woman with light brown waves across the hall, making her way with Tzuyu in a seemingly animated conversation. Kim Dahyun, her secretary. What the fuck?

Her head snaps toward her best friend’s, “No. She’s my fucking secretary.”

“Sorry, I didn’t make the rules. And relax, she’s your secretary, so what? This is a team bonding experience, after all. If anything, you’re the one to blame,” The smirk slowly making its way up the corners of her mouth leaves Nayeon lost for words.

///

“You should at least give them credit for giving you a bunk bed.”

“That doesn’t make it any better,” Nayeon retorts.

The two of them are in Jihyo’s room, the former sitting on the younger’s bed.

“Speak for yourself, Tzuyu’s actually a nice roommate. We made some small talk before you came barging in,” Jihyo mutters, earning a glare from Nayeon.

“We’re their superiors. We shouldn’t be making small talk with any of them,” Nayeon reasons.

“So? There isn’t anything wrong with making friends, Nayeon. The system isn’t stopping you from doing that.”

“But-”

“Have you ever thought that just for once that you shouldn’t be letting the system control every aspect of your life? Maybe you should just relax and let loose, they aren’t going to hunt you down for showing a little kindness. Remember that. Now go have some fun, you loser,” She even makes a show of ruffling Nayeon’s hair before grabbing her things and leaving the room, a towel slung on her shoulder and a small bag; she’s probably going swimming. Nayeon’s heard overheard one of the guys talk about a pool party. 

She clicks her tongue, launching herself off the bed before heading back to her now-empty room. 

Of course, Dahyun left.

Is she even hoping she’d be there?

///

_Not a word had been exchanged in the miniscule window of when they figured out they’d be sharing a room, and when Nayeon left to go to Jihyo’s. It’s a cruise, so the space was quite compact, which meant Dahyun needed to hone all of her maneuvering skills to avoid being her boss’ target for an unnecessary scolding._

_As soon as she heard the door slam shut, Dahyun let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding._

_Luck is not on her side today._

“What a cowardly move, Kim,” Yeri inputs, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. After nearly getting splashed by their colleagues at the swimming pool all rowdy and possibly causing unneeded ruckus, she decided to join Dahyun with Tzuyu away from the collateral damage, “You could’ve used that chance to kick her out. She wasn’t saying anything so you could’ve easily established your dominance.”

“You make it sound easier than it is,” Dahyun scoffs, remembering the chills she’d gotten down her spine from the way the woman was glaring at her once she’d gotten out of the bathroom, “I doubt you wouldn’t even do that if you were in my shoes. It’s best to just ignore her for the remainder of this trip.”

“You do know that’s nearly impossible right,” Tzuyu claims from out of the blue, “She’s going to be everywhere for the next two days.. And in your room, of course.”

“4000 won says they’re going to end up in each other’s beds the next morning.”

Before Yeri can fully register it, Dahyun’s pushing on the woman, and with enough strength, Yeri’s scream indicates she’d successfully fallen in the pool. Not a full minute after, Dahyun’s taking a running start, all eyes on her, as she cannonballs straight into the water. Tzuyu watches all the chaos unfold as Yeri almost drowns Dahyun by pouncing on top of her in a laughing fit while she emerges from the water.

///

Swimming pools and alcohol are two which must never be combined, as Jihyo and Nayeon, being the caretakers they are, had to check every crevice and corner to make sure none of those dorks actually made it into open water, ushering them back into their respective rooms in the dead of night. Thankfully, nobody was dead, and that was all that mattered to Nayeon -- that would definitely be a hassle to be taken care of.

Irked and starving, Nayeon inches back to her shared room, having zero energy to deal with anyone or anything for the rest of the night. Except waiting for her as she opens the door, is her secretary, barely in any clothes but a towel wrapped around her frame and steam coming from out of their shared bathroom.

“Oh, Miss Im,” A peculiar lump forms in Dahyun’s throat as she almost chokes on air -- what else could it be other than her boss witnessing her coming out from a shower in nothing but a freakin’ towel, “This- uhm- this is my bad.”

But despite the fact they’re not technically on business, the way Dahyun just called her so formally in such a vulnerable state is doing something weird to Nayeon.

Shaking it off, Nayeon (or tries to) keeps her eyes on the woman’s, “Go get changed, we both know it was unintentional, Miss Kim.”

Dahyun nods along, disappearing with the set of sleepwear on top of her bunk bed and changing again inside the bathroom. Nayeon, on the other hand, stays put by the couch, softly massaging the muscles on her shoulders with her free hand. Perhaps working for hours on end is finally taking its toll on her physically, she feels old even though she’s still charmingly young.

“Miss Im?” 

“Miss Kim, if there’s something you need, you may ask Miss Park. She’s just across the hall. I’m not feeling very well at this moment.”

“That’s what I wanted to say, Miss Im,” Dahyun raises her voice ever so slightly, “I can help you, if you let me. I’m quite skilled at massaging.”

“That’s quite ridiculous, please go away,” Nayeon does her best to do a ‘shooing’ motion with her hand as the other runs a hand through her hair.

Dahyun’s gotten fairly good at reading Nayeon’s tells, A.K.A what she likes and dislikes. And if the little wager says anything, Dahyun now knows Nayeon’s very competitive; in turn a sore loser, “Are you afraid of what I’m capable of, Miss Im?”

Her head swivels toward the woman sporting the most playful smirk she’s ever seen her do -- or the only one she’s seen her do. She’s all changed in her boy shorts and her tank top, a sight Nayeon would’ve ever thought she’d see, as she rather boldly asks her to lay on her back on the mattress. With Dahyun unrelenting, the woman’s left with no other choice but to follow her.. orders. Then Dahyun swiftly moves herself to rest gently on the woman’s lower back, “I- is this okay?”

“You’re already on top, just get to work so we can get it over with,” So brushing off the direction her mind wanders off to due to her boss’ poor phrasing, Dahyun does. Her hands get to work on her clothed shoulders, rubbing stress-relieving circles in a slow tempo, feeling Nayeon’s muscles relax under her pale fingers. She’s hesitant to move on to a different spot on her back until she’s seemingly granted permission when Nayeon reaches around and pushes her hands dangerously lower to the slight dip of her spine. Dahyun promptly adds more pressure around it, knowing she’s hit a good spot when a satisfied sigh escapes her boss’ lips from underneath her.

It’s only a perfectly G-rated massage. They’ve both got their clothes on, so why is Dahyun sporting such a flushed shade of red?

“Harder.”

The words fall out so easily, Dahyun loses her rhythm and stops her hands movements. Couldn’t she have at least strung together a better sentence? Dahyun obeys anyway, changing the formation of her fingers as if she’s only molding a piece of clay into a genuine sculpture. It’s been quite a while since she’d massaged someone, and it proves to be an effective exercise. She knows she’s doing a rather good job as well, she’s actually in the zone -- moving from gentle circles to slightly more firm ones as her fingers dance across the fabric of Nayeon’s tank top and she knows this particular routine because she’s done it a hundred times -

A throaty moan sounds from the woman underneath her, and Dahyun doesn’t fully realise the state she’s in as she looks down to be met with the sight of Nayeon, both hands in balled-up fists with the sheets in her grasp.

“I didn’t think you’d—”

“Save it, Miss Kim,” Though still under her, Dahyun keeps her mouth shut, recalling her position as someone above her. Nayeon takes a deep breath and says something uncharacteristically.. kind, “It felt.. better than expected.”

The praise reaches Dahyun’s ears, waving off her initial surprise and internally grins to herself.

“This means nothing, obviously. I applaud you for your work, and that will be all.”

“Sounds to me like you appreciate the work I’ve done on you?” Dahyun can’t help but act the least bit cocky, knowing what she’d just done.

“I suggest you bite your tongue, Miss Kim.”

Dahyun hides a smile when she leaves to go to the bathroom.

Nayeon, standing by the sink, stares at her reflection in the mirror.

She’d just let her subordinate give her a damn massage.

///

The sight before her is truly.. something. Not once has Jaebum scored a striked for them in the bowling arena this afternoon. Dahyun definitely thinks the dude’s faking the whole act of overswinging, trying to replicate the stance of the more professional players in the lane beside thiers (who just laugh wholeheartedly at Jaebum’s sour attempts).

They have the disgrace of having the -- objectively -- worst player in the entire office. While the other teams steadily rack up points, Dahyun’s team prefers the fun over the actual competition, of which she actually doesn’t mind. The fact that they’re all chanting, cheering and throwing banter only serves to prove her point made to Miss Im -- they’re bonding and having fun. If only she could see the look on her face when she realises she’s losing a bet to her own secretary.

That’s the only reason Dahyun’s searching for her face among the crowd. That’s it.

The woman hadn’t talked to her after their small incident last night -- she’d even made sure to leave before Dahyun had woken up -- and she hasn’t seen her since. She begins to think she’d scared her off last night, with her uncalled for big mouthing and stuff. Only that isn’t like Miss Im, and the last thing she’d do is back down from an obvious challenge. Dahyun could’ve gone too far last night, a line that was established even prior to their first meeting, but one she’d simultaneously crossed.

Or maybe she’s just overthinking it.

They’re around 100 points behind everyone else, so Dahyun pulls her thoughts away from the woman, and to the bowling balls rolling up from their return to the machine. 

“You okay, Dahyun? Want a drink?” Tzuyu, concerned, hands her a glass of water, “Or if you prefer soda I can get you some.”

“Yeah, something’s.. on my mind,” Tzuyu keeps an open ear, prompting her to continue. Only Dahyun finds it inappropriate to talk about her boss like they’re.. close. It’s just weird. “You know what? It’s really nothing. How are things with you and sharing a room with the one and only Miss Park?

Even under the dim lighting, Dahyun spots the speckles of a dusted blush from her cheeks. “She’s really nice.. we’re actually on a first name basis now. Things just happened and we got the chance to really know each other last night.”

“Hey, then that’s one more person that we can trust around here,” Dahyun jests, earning a nod of agreement from Tzuyu.

“And you with Miss Im? Don’t think I don’t notice you being so down and out of it all of a sudden.” Quite unfortunately, the world circles back to her like it always seems to have done up until recently. Is she experiencing karma in the works?

“She’s just unbearably.. confusing.”

“Hm? Confusing?”

“She confuses me is all.”

Tzuyu hums, “That is not the word I’d predicted you to say, to be honest. Maybe unbearably.. insufferable? Unbearably.. intolerable? Or like.. unbearably unbearable. But I get it. She’s supposed to be our boss, not somebody to act all casual with.”

“Maybe that explains why she’s such a bitch to us,” Her uncensored words make Tzuyu snicker, “Not to mention all that system crap.”

“You know what I think?” Tzuyu remarks, “She’s a softie at heart.”

Dahyun barely manages to contain her scoff, “We’re still talking about Im Nayeon, right?”

“Well, I’m aware we’ll never really know for sure. It’s just a quick hunch.”

Dahyun slaps her words onto her own skin, repeating them over and over from memory, “Right..”

///

She’s never once thought of getting to know her colleagues on such a friendly level. To her it’s incredibly degrading toward herself. It was pouring one day, enough to reach the tops of her black heels, a subordinate of hers in the same situation while they both awkwardly stood by the entrance of the company. In Nayeon’s hand, a one-person umbrella. In her designer handbag, sits another umbrella. She’d never found a reason to give it to her -- if she were to be someone working at her company, coming prepared is of utmost importance, even a simpleton would know that.

That was a recurring excuse on Nayeon’s behalf; that she simply couldn’t find it in herself to care about others. Why would she need to? It’s a dog-eat-dog society and something away from her control -- all she’s able to do is adapt as the powerful woman that she is.

Her hands curl into unforgiving fists, the reason behind her mask slipping sitting and laughing like nothing else matters in all her ‘light-brown-haired-and sweatpants-with-a-tight-shirt’ glory, coming into the woman’s view from her seat on the stool. As she gets into a bowling stance, it’s then when the woman ignites something untouched within her; a fury that she’d yet to lash out. The stunt she’d pulled the night before only adds fuel to the undying flame of her wrath.

She takes another shot, it’s 2:56 in the afternoon but who is she to care? Slamming the empty glass onto the counter, she decides to do something adventurous for a change. A decision best saved for a tipsy boss, not a sober one, as it appears.

Her subordinates are quite taken aback by her sudden participation, but even after the silent gawking, Jackson cheers her on with hollers and whoops, the rest like Jaebum, Yeri and Yugyeom joining in with their antics soon after.

“Don’t stop just because I’m here, people,” There’s no telling whether or not their boss has consumed alcohol beforehand, her expressions remaining the straightest it’s ever been. “Unless you’re willing to lose that is.” Just as she says that, her hooded gaze drifts toward her secretary, in turn eyeing her with the most intrigued look.

A well-rounded woman comes in the form of somebody who knows the ins and outs of everything she tries; and to Nayeon, she takes it very seriously when she means everything. The first few rounds kick off and she’s already ahead by the rest of her colleagues in the pitiful room despire being the only one in her lane, outbursts of ‘no fucking way’ and ‘are you cheating, boss?’ sound from around the room, each member of it left in befuddlement as their necks crane upward to the leaderboard.

**IM. NY - 202**

**K. DH - 164**

**W. JACK - 102**

**K. YERI - 89**

In bright flashy lettering, it reveals the final scores. Dahyun’s team is a mile behind Nayeon’s one-woman-show. All the gloating rights belonging to the tipsy woman in a grey knitted sweater and blue jeans. Dahyun shakes her head, her own entertainment growing by the minute as she tries (and fails) to hide her own smile.

///

With the pool all reserved for their leisure activities -- the sway of Jihyo’s influence stretches for miles -- they all file the deck in their swimsuits and trunks, helping to set the net up for pool volleyball.

Nayeon wades in the water, awaiting her friend to join her in her own apricot one piece with some matching shorts. 

“Miss Im!” An elated Jackson shouts from the opposite side of the net, “Good luck!”

Nayeon rolls her eyes, taking her place in between five others in her team -- it seems she’ll have to be carrying for this game. She even surveys the other team and its members -- Yugyeom, Jackson, Jaebum, Tzuyu, Gahyeon and Yeri -- Dahyun doesn’t seem to want to participate in this one. Instead she watches the showdown on the sidelines, sipping on a vending machine drink from the poolside lounge.

The ball comes spinning up in the air, the wind swaying it to Jackson’s side of the pool as he hits it back to Nayeon’s side. The woman and her speedy reflexes are able to deflect it, earning a whoop from her teammates. That’s a point to Team Im.

They go more aggressively, Jackson’s team. As Yeri from near the front, sets the ball to Tzuyu like a real damn setter for her to spike, just barely catching the net and falling on Nayeon’s side. Then it’s a point to them.

The match goes on for what seems like a few more minutes, as anticipating gasps from their colleagues watching turn into hollers and cheers from whenever their desired team obtains a point. Dahyun joins in at some point, watching how her boss’ face turns sour whenever they lose, and how it lights up in childish -- but is contained soon after -- joy when they’re able to score a point. Hell, her colleagues are even surprised as she high-fives them with gusto.

Her bunny smile as they end up winning the match will predictably make it hard for Dahyun to forget, the teams having a celebratory hug and humorously ‘bitter’ handshakes. 

They all agree that they’re done for today until dinner later in the evening, wanting to have a quick nap or just lounge around in their free time. Nayeon, after having a shower, chooses to sit in her bed and scroll through her emails, just in case she’d missed some important ones the morning prior.

Unluckily for her, the doors click open and Dahyun walks through, stopping right in front of her.

“Yes, Miss Kim?” She moves her glasses higher up her nose. 

Dahyun plops down a black gym bag on her bed, “You left this by the poolside, Miss Im.”

Nayeon blinks once, resuming her attention to the screen, “Ah, I see, well done.”

“If there’s anything you need,” Dahyun pauses to think, “I’m here.”

“You’re my secretary, after all.” She’s as aloof as the words sound from her own mouth -- but there’s an uncertain taste hanging from them.

“Right.. I-”

“Actually there’s one thing I need from you right now.” Nayeon informs, “There's a cafe downstairs, one with a special type of cake I’m craving. It should be under my name, pick it up for me,” Dahyun manages a nod, taking her phone that’d she’d left on the nightstand before walking out the door.

Their exchanges have always been so short lately.

She locates the cafe, a regular one you’d see in any mall and one that is, to Dahyun’s relief, not sea themed. It’s not as busy as she’d expected, the barista at the counter greeting her with a friendly smile, “Hi, I have delivery for Im Nayeon?”

“Alright, I’ll get right back to you in just a moment.”

Dahyun takes a seat on one of the stools, a familiar face turning from beside her as she does.

“Oh, hello, Miss Kim,” Jihyo politely bows.

Dahyun promptly returns the bow, “Miss Park, I didn’t know you were here.”

“I prefer having self-indulgent desserts in the late afternoon, it calms me down,” Jihyo laughs, poking at her half-eaten chestnut cake, “What do you fancy?”

“I’m not a big fan of coffee, I like chocolate more, actually,” She heats up at the sudden spurt of information. Why would she care? She has no time to be mingling with her.

On the contrary, Jihyo’s smile grows at the fact, “That’s understandable, I always thought you had a sweet tooth.”

“How did you know?”

Her superior’s eyes only sparkle, “I keep files on all my employees, that includes the ones from your boss. Aside from that, I recruited you myself all those months ago.”

Oh. _Oh._

“Is it really that shocking?”

“Yes, it is, Miss Park. I thought.. I just got lucky.”

“In a special way, you did,” Dahyun’s gaze drifts toward the ground, unsure of her next response. Jihyo saves her the pressure, “But that goes without saying, your achievements have contributed much more to my choice, Miss Kim, especially your character.”

“My character?”

Jihyo hums, “You want to know a secret? About why all of Miss Im’s secretaries have quit, or have been fired?” Dahyun holds some reservation in her tight-lipped expression, “Don’t worry it’s not anything diabolical,” She takes another bite into her cake.

When she swallows, Dahyun recognizes the seriousness of the woman, a stark resemblance from her boss in the workplace. “It’s because they’ve all tried too hard to impress her. I’ve known her for years and it still scares me how she sees right through those people. She needed someone who didn’t care about ranks, someone who would ground her when she was in over her head.”

If Dahyun’s head wasn’t spinning before, then it is now. She has too many questions. Way too many that all that comes out is, “What are you saying?”

Jihyo finishes her dessert and gives her a smile before letting out a short and simple answer to soothe her mind that’s running a thousand miles per second, “You’re smart, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

What could she mean by that?

“I still have some things to take care of back in my room. I’ll see you at dinner, Miss Kim.”

They bid their goodbyes, and Dahyun’s left wondering -- with a box of cake in her hands.

///

The calmest thing for Dahyun on this trip so far would have to be dinner. Her colleagues are divided into tables of four for convenience, and even though they’re all separated, Dahyun sees how at least two people would go around tables every once and awhile. It’s quite amusing to witness.

But pros come with their respective cons, such that Dahyun’s table is incredibly awkward. The table doesn’t have as much elbow room as she’d hoped, because she’s incapable of thinking properly as her boss is sitting across her, with Jihyo and Tzuyu on either side. 

It’s quiet, unlike the other tables that gush and gossip. Heads are down, forks are knives cut. 

Jihyo clears her throat to ease the obvious tension, “So, Tzuyu, how did you end up working for our company?”

From what Jihyo had revealed prior to dinner, Dahyun easily concludes the woman already knows this information, and just wants to make some small talk. Surprisingly, even Nayeon’s head turns to pay attention.

“To be honest, this company had always caught my eye,” Although a little thrown off by the question, Tzuyu rests her fork on the plate, “The company I worked for previously was.. corrupt. If I had known their cause was tainted since the beginning, I would’ve left ages ago.” Jihyo only nods along, “I’m glad I have though, I’ve met some good people.” It’s evident the last part is directed to Dahyun, the Korean smiling into a bite of her steak.

“That’s good to hear. Oh, excuse my manners. This isn’t some job interview, it’s a dinner. I have a fun idea,” Jihyo announces, “Let’s play ‘2 Truths and a Lie’”

“What are we highschoolers? That’s ridiculous.” Nayeon snorts.

“Fine, sit out if you want. Miss Kim, Miss Chou, shall we?”

It’s intriguing how different their two bosses are in personality; one is unbelievably laid back, the other.. not so much. They agree nonetheless, Tzuyu taking the first turn.

“Let’s see.. I’ve won a gold medal for archery in highschool, I’ve volunteered for a dog shelter, and I’ve been to Okinawa,” Tzuyu lists off.

Dahyun already knows the answer to this, of course, Tzuyu’s been an archery prodigy since her first year of highschool -- it was apparently her undiscovered talent when she’d one day shot the center of the target on the first day of tryouts. Tzuyu also has an undying love of dogs, so she can confirm that the second is true. Okinawa’s a pretty sweet place, but Tzuyu simply doesn’t have the time to travel.

“The lie is… the third one?” Jihyo guesses, “No wait- the first one.”

“Nope, your first guess was actually right. I’ve never been to Okinawa, but I do plan to sometime in the future.”

“Maybe that should be our next destination, right, Nay?” Jihyo nudges the woman on her left, who’s peacefully eating her salad until she disrupted her eating. A dirty glare is what she receives from the older.

Dahyun goes next, scrunching her brow in thought, “I.. don’t like sushi, I’ve danced in church when I was a kid, and I mumble in my sleep.”

“Come on, it’s gotta be the second one, right?” Jihyo chuckles.

Tzuyu hums, “I think it’s the first one.”

“No doubt the third one’s true,” Nayeon mutters under her breath. Dahyun does a double take at the woman, who only holds eye contact to intimidate.

“Tzuyu’s right.”

“Interesting, I’ve never been to a church who lets people dance,” Jihyo ponders aloud.

Tzuyu pipes, “You should really see the video.”

“There’s a video?” Jihyo exclaims, wide-eyed and in awe while her two subordinates laugh it off. “Alright, my turn. I love playing video games, I like ships and--”

Jihyo pauses before making her last statement, looking Nayeon straight in the eyes.

“-- today’s a very special day.”

“What do you mean by that?” Tzuyu’s confusion mirrors Dahyun’s.

Jihyo snickers, “That entirely depends on your guess.”

Dahyun finds it hard to ignore the death glare Nayeon’s giving her food, poking at it with her fork even more intensely than usual.

“Then.. is the lie the last one?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Jihyo shrugs, “Any day is a special day if it means that much to you, Miss Chou.”

The rest of the dinner is just Dahyun, Jihyo and Tzuyu filling in the blank spaces left by an uncommunicative Nayeon, who every once in 5 seconds checks her phone -- antisocial much? They share hugs and waves when they part, only a door room apart in the hallways. Except, Nayeon.. isn’t there.

If anything, it’s probably because she doesn’t want to go back so early. But Nayeon normally doesn’t do anything in her free time except stay in their shared room -- Dahyun should know, the woman has a routine like clockwork even on a supposed vacation. 

That’s when the box of cake comes into view as she makes her way into the middle of the room, sitting out cold on the nightstand with red-striped candles strapped to it. Why would she order a whole cake if she isn’t even going to eat it? 

Dahyun clicks her tongue, too fuddled to even think, so she checks the time on her phone. It reads 11:29. 

Then her eyes drift to the date at the top of the screen.

_September 22._

///

Nayeon hadn’t planned it to be like this.

She’s only wanting to prove something wrong to an irritating subordinate, but why is she trying this hard?

No, the real question is, why is she even drinking at this hour. She knows the whole deal about being hungover the very next morning but she promised herself just a few drinks -- she’s keeping true to her promise tonight for her own sake.

Nayeon deserves it because today’s the day she hates the most. And she hates Jihyo even more for bringing it up at dinner.

The blue light of her phone screen stares back at her like it’s mocking the woman. Unbelievable.

The bartender tells her to leave, he’s concerned. Nayeon assures him she’s had enough to drink and leaves -- she stumbles a little on the way out but nobody’s there to see it.

///

She takes out the card, fumbling with it until it finally opens.

_Kim Dahyun._ Her mind utters, a name kept safely in its confines.

Because it’s Dahyun, who’s already fallen fast asleep on top of the nightstand, the cake unravelled from its box and without a single slice missing. The candles are lit, her secretary wears a party hat -- did she just happen to bring it aboard?

And something pulls at Nayeon’s caged heart. Maybe she’s just drunk. And it's because she’s so drunk that she can’t help herself from smiling at the doorway, before making her own way to the younger and planting a soft kiss on top of her forehead.

“Thank you, Miss Kim,” She whispers, and blows out the candles.

_Happy Birthday, Nayeon_ , the cake reads in loopy white icing.

She pulls a blanket over Dahyun, as if her spoken gratitude wasn’t enough.

///

The last day of their little cruise adventure starts with Dahyun being the earliest to the cinema. One by one, people start filing in. Whoever left Jackson in charge of movie picking has to get fired, because there really isn’t any way his movie choice would satisfy anybody. And just like she’d predicted, Dahyun, Tzuyu and Yeri all take a look at their own movie tickets.

_The Grudge_

The movie theatre is relatively small, but not cramped. It’s rather cozy. And it seems it’s just dark enough for them to locate their seats using the lit up letters on the carpeted floors.

Food and drinks in hand, the movie starts rolling. It’s in better quality than expected from a metal box in water, honestly. Then again it’s not like she’s been to other cruises to have something to compare it to. Oh, then there’s a jumpscare. It doesn’t make her so much as flinch, but the same can’t be said for the high-pitched shriek from across the room, eliciting laughter from the audience.

She’s almost sure it sounds familiar.

And a part of her knows because who else would even be thinking about another person during a horror movie for Christ’ sake.

She hadn’t come home- come back to their room that night. Tricking her own mind into believing she’d magically buried herself in the blanket that she’d woken up in the night before.

Im Nayeon wouldn’t care about someone like her.

///

It’s sad to see it end so soon, especially since Dahyun’s definition of fun wouldn’t be at corporate parties, while this is nothing like high-class dining and playing dress-up, the thought of her drunken colleagues after the first incident doesn’t sound like a very well thought out idea. But they insisted anyway, taking the concept of ‘letting loose’ more seriously than intended.

Dahyun was to skip out on it, but Yeri was a step ahead of her, already having a hand around her wrist as she led her down a staircase and into ‘Oceanum Orientum’. Having a suitable Latin name for a club above water only made her chuckle, because what doesn’t this cruise have?

Her assumptions were right, and Dahyun is most definitely bored out of her mind. She assured Tzuyu to go have fun and mingle for the night, while she downs the last of her glass’ contents. She hasn’t taken enough for her to start spilling out drunken laughs, but just right to allow the tension to lift from her shoulders and fully take in the atmosphere. She’s pretty much alone in her area, eyes already threatening to droop closed at any moment.

Because of this, she nearly misses Nayeon coming up to her table and sitting by her -- not without leaving a good 6 feet in between them.

“Enjoying yourself, Miss Kim?” She smirks, throwing the unusually friendly question to her secretary. 

With a foreign drink in her boss’ hand, Dahyun subconsciously scoots to make some more room. “Not really. But I’m sure you are, though?”

“What are you implying? That I’m an alcoholic?” 

“I didn’t say that.” They’re back to square one; small talk.

“Very well. This has been fun hasn’t it?”

“It has. You verifying this only makes it that much more official.”

Nayeon cocks her head so animatedly it’s almost cute.

They’re on even playing fields, one just as bored as the other and both under the influence of alcohol for their choice to engage in conversation. Maybe it’s how Dahyun lost count of how much she’d actually drank, eliciting a much bolder front that not even the mention of her boss can stagger. “You’ve won the battle, but you’ve lost the wager.”

“That isn’t even partially true.”

“Don’t worry, I give credit where it’s due, and that goes without saying that it’s mostly thanks to you and your impeccable timing and planning for this team-building activity,” Dahyun claims with the brightest -- and equally as intoxicated -- grin adorned on her pale face. It beautifully compliments her dark brown eyes, glowing a shade of gold under the dimmed lights. “Still, I win.”

In a state of denial, Nayeon manages to keep up her unbothered act, “How can you be so confident about that?”

“Look at them over there,” Dahyun points to Jackson’s group, once a crew full of the overexcited men from their office is now mixed in with the women in Yeri’s group, chatting over some beers and talking over one another like a silly made up debate, “They weren’t like that before, though I’m sure you wouldn’t even notice. It was because of you that they’ve grown as close as they are now. This trip really helped them.”

Dahyun, having to shove all the facts in her face like that, doesn’t require a response from the woman. Naeyon comes to lapse of judgement in the moment, not uttering another word as Nayeon takes a shot from the table and downs it, “That’s unbelievably stupid. I can’t believe you were so naive into thinking you could prove something to me.”

Dahyun's left puzzled as the woman carries on, the volume of her voice rising by every passing second, “You think that with one little social experiment, you can derail everything I’ve made this department into? That this is all a sick joke so you can push your beliefs onto me?”

“I didn’t say anything like that at all,” She’s calm as opposed to the woman next to her, afraid that if she even so much as one word she’ll be provoked into doing something reckless -- Dahyun knows this woman like the back of her hand after working with her for the time she did, “It was a small bet, and you lost. If you took it that seriously then why did you seem so careless about it?”

They’re talking over the blaring music now, hearts thrumming from the tension -- a faltering string about to be cut straight through the wind. Nayeon feels tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, “You are nothing but a subordinate, you don’t have the right to talk to me like that, Miss Kim.”

She’s distinctly more controlled now -- the sudden outburst being summoned into a fiery ache spared inside her. However the same can’t be said to Dahyun, who in turn, feels like she just got shot by the heaviest bullet in the world.

Being reminded of her position does nothing to her, but the implication is what hurts. The implication that Nayeon was willingly setting her apart from the woman at a premeditated distance, no matter if their only relationship was that of the boss and the blindsided employee. 

Dahyun just blurts her thoughts out anyway, “What are you so defensive about? That was a bet we’d both agreed on, I don’t see what the problem is-”

“It’s _you_. You’re my damn problem,” Nayeon seethes -- and Dahyun recoils, as if the poison is finally taking its effect.

“What?” It’s small and defeated, the words hovering under Dahyun’s breath. The only thing her body allows her to do is to watch her boss get herself up and walk out of the club.

Whenever the woman was back in the office and in a relatively bad mood, Dahyun made sure to keep her distance. Whatever the reason was, a recurring pattern was that the woman would leave her office during lunch hours and come back a few hours later with her usual powerful aura on display, as if nothing had ever happened. She knew Nayeon was up and charged, ready to face the world and all of its problems. Don’t get her wrong, the woman was mean, but Dahyun admires her work and how dedicated she is to it. 

A part of her even looked up to the woman like a mentor. But there was one part of her that was slightly hidden in the form of her that saw something more as she watched the woman let out the tiniest grin as she found how Dahyun left her a fresh cup of coffee of her exact order on her desk, completely unexpected. Or how Dahyun noticed how she subtly lessened some of her colleagues' workloads significantly since she’d started doing more of her own tasks.

How could someone with such a tainted reputation end up so close to the confines of Dahyun’s mind? 

But if there’s one thing Dahyun learns as she watches Nayeon’s figure disappear from her sight, it’s that strong people have the ability to break down the worst.

///

The elevator takes a while to call, Dahyun repeatedly pressing the button impatiently as she sighs, looking at the clock mounted on the wall that reads 12:14.

She smells the alcohol from her own breath when she yawns, hands trailing the wall next to her on the way back to her room until her feet stop on something heavy. She’s sure everyone else has gone back to their rooms for the night, their batteries lasting for not more than dozens of drinks in. A dark haired woman scrunched up in a ball right outside her door, most probably passed out, with her head under her arms. It’s Nayeon -- the only explanation to the sight being that she’d forgotten her keycard.

Something in her heart aches at the sight, but she gulps the lump in her throat down, treading carefully before unlocking the door with the card in a single click and trying not to trample over her boss. Unfortunately for her, Nayeon shifts in her sleep, grabbing a hold of Dahyun’s leg as if it's a second pillow. What the hell can she do now?

The way Dahyun sees it, she can either: a) leave her outside -- futile and the most unfavourable option -- b) wake her up so they can both get some rest -- dangerous as who knows if the woman’s capable of being a sleeping time bomb -- or c) slowly slip her leg out of Nayeon’s clutches. The last option honestly sounds the best to Dahyun, as she ever so slowly pries her hands away from her leg, tongue slipped in between her lips as she centralizes all her balance to keep from falling. Quite embarrassingly, Dahyun admits at that moment she should’ve done more pilates, as she comes crashing down -- butt first, mind you -- after she shifts her weight instead of trying to get support from the now-open door.

At the loss of a leg in her sleeping arms, Nayeon’s eyes flutter awake, squinting as she gets her bearings like a mole stuck in the ground, “Oh, it’s you,” Nayeon yawns, “You didn’t think of coming back sooner? How considerate of you.”

“You’re one to talk, Miss Im,” At this point, the use of honorifics are only patronizing, the woman drawing out a huff before she brushes off her knees while getting up, “You should’ve gotten an extra card.”

“I know that. I wasn’t thinking, obviously.”

“Well, neither was I,” Dahyun conceded.

It’s this time when Nayeon avoids her eyes, glued to the carpeted floors out in the hallways despite their door being fully open, “I.. was out of line. It was wrong of me to say stuff like that.. to you over a bet.”

On her features, Dahyun discerns a twinge of vulnerability she’s never seen from the woman. Ever. She concludes that it must be some type of moment for her. But why now?

“I agree with that, actually. I mean I did win,” Dahyun hums. “So this is an.. apology?”

“I- uhm-” Nayeon sputters for a bit, twiddling her thumbs, “Yes, I suppose it is.”

“You owe me more than that for winning, don’t you think?”

“Fine, you were right. Everybody did have fun, and they bonded pretty well.”

“And you’ll start treating them better?”

Nayeon clicks her tongue, “What you’re asking for is too much-”

“Is it?” Dahyun probes, “Is it really? Human decency is asking too much?”

A curt scoff slices through the air, “There’s a clear hierarchy in a company and that should be respected.”

“That’s true, I have to admit, however that doesn’t mean you should treat them any lesser than that,” A heat in her stomach returns to bite her in the ass, “I don’t think it’s very difficult to understand.”

The piercing stare Dahyun gives Nayeon sends an unspoken message, a silent plea and a split second of disappointment.

“You wouldn’t understand. You haven’t lived a day in my shoes, Miss Kim. It’s not as easy as it sounds,” They’re going around in circles, rimming around the edges and failing to meet in the middle; an endless loop of dissatisfaction.

“Not as easy as it sounds?” Dahyun can’t believe what she’s hearing; mostly because she doesn’t want to. She’s getting punched in the gut over and over and she can’t take it anymore. “You apologised, Nayeon.”

“That’s because it was in our agreement.”

“So you just _lied_? It meant _nothing_ to you?”

A delay in Nayeon’s judgement, “Why would it even matter to you, Miss Kim? I’m one person out of the millions you see every other day.”

“That isn’t the point,” Crescents dig themselves on the heels on Dahyun’s palm, a way of venting the anger she would never project.

“Then I don’t see what is,” It’s aloof and cold, “You’re wasting your time, Miss Kim, I assure you.”

Her back faces the younger woman, a hand on the doorknob before she pushes the door further in. She’s exhausted and still kind of drunk, Dahyun stands an inconvenience to her and nothing else good. She’s the embodiment of someone from the lower class, smiley, subjectively fun, and nice people overall. Nayeon’s never liked nice people.

The smile that stretches from ear to ear greets her everyday at work early in the mornings at exactly 9:00, she goes to get her coffee with the same A+ employee attitude at 10:30 and returns with the sandwich Dahyun knows she likes even when she hadn’t even requested it half an hour later. From her office, she has a perfect view of Dahyun’s cubicle on the right, watching the brunette file reports and making calls all in her gray wheelie chair, every once in a while glancing at the clock to meet her expected deadlines. Sometimes the friendlier colleagues come to make small talk, and she reciprocates it with the same bright enthusiasm, as if she’s never had a bad day in her life.

Maybe that was why Nayeon had engaged with her in the first place when she’d offered to bring her to dinner with that business partner of hers, or how she’d let her give her a mind blowing massage the other night..

Or how she’d waited for Nayeon alone in their room to celebrate her damn birthday when not even her own parents bothered to give her a call.

She _couldn’t_ hate her. Nayeon couldn’t even push Dahyun away for so long without finding some excuse to pull her even closer.

Her breath hitches when a hand grips her wrist, “Please, at least consider it, Miss Im,” Dahyun utters it out like it’s her last breath, so reserved and just.

“Miss Kim,” Nayeon begins just as softly, she instantly feels her grip loosen when she turns, “Why are you like this?”

Dahyun’s about to protest before she studies Nayeon’s parted lips. “What- what do you mean?” 

Travelling up her arm, Nayeon’s palm lands on the side of her jaw, searching for the clues she’s been looking for ever since, “You’re so irritating.”

She hates the way Dahyun’s looking straight into her own eyes, half lidded and so alluring. She hates how beautiful she is, the way her face resembles that of a princess from an ancient dynasty. She hates how _soft_ her lips look, she hates how Dahyun’s hands move to her waist without needing any words, she hates how she so boldly leans in first.

Every single one of their pent up emotions come crashing down, left in shards of built up tension and longing and _arousal_ melting and moulding itself into the kiss that they so passionately share. Their lips collide, a messy mashup of everything they’ve withheld from one another up until this very moment as Nayeon’s back collides with the sacred walls of the hallways, so exposed and yet none of them bats an eyelash. All that crosses Dahyun’s mind is how much she secretly wanted this, left in the smallest segments of her passing imagination as she’d once shaken it off. The tips of her fingers drag lightly up the length of Dahyun’s hips, coming to rest at the small of her spine. Dahyun responds by parting her mouth, the slightest movement granting Nayeon’s desired access -- the muted moan that sounds from the younger makes Nayeon spiral.

Vulnerability, Nayeon’s greatest enemy. It succumbs her, how she let someone like Dahyun sneak past her radar, past all the defenses she’d built up over the many years as the woman’s hands meet Nayeon’s hair in a bunched up grasp, tightly knit browns and lowly pants in play while echoing in the dead of night.

It’s a soothing melody, the way they eventually -- and clumsily -- stumble their way past the front door, Nayeon shutting it with a soft kick of her foot before Dahyun finds her back laid on the bunk with her boss. Her boss eyes her with a hungry gaze on top of her, all Dahyun can do is sit back and let her have her damn way, so impatient and in agony of the looming anticipation. Until Nayeon herself can’t take it much longer, nipping the shell of Dahyun’s ear, “Miss Kim, please tell me if you consent to this.”

Dahyun manages a tiny smile despite the intimacy of it all, “That’s the first time you’ve said please and meant it. Do what you may, Miss Im.”

She drags her tongue lower toward her jaw, sucking, nibbling and doing whatever she can to draw out a sweet and beautiful sound from her lips -- it works in the form of a short whimper, “Then you’d better not make me regret it.”

Sweetness. A lulling daze of which Dahyun is experiencing, quite ironic as her heartbeat right now is off the charts while the woman moves lower, Dahyun’s blouse left discarded elsewhere in the four walls of their room. She’s halfway bare naked as Nayeon takes her sweet time taking her secretary in for the very first time -- she’d be lying if she said her own heart rate is in its calmest state. It’s not so much different from her true nature when Nayeon pins her arms above her head without so much of a warning (always so hungry for power, after all) but even as Dahyun lays still and all dry mouthed, her clutches remain harmless as she holds back.

Her ministrations continue, biting, rubbing and nipping at whatever Nayeon can get her mouth on from the licking stripes up and down the woman’s toned abs, to teasing the small valley with purples and reds in between her still-clothed breasts, underneath Dahyun babbles out the cutest groans -- she’s irresistible. 

The next thing she asks contrasts greatly to what she’s doing, voice lowering into a mere whisper as Nayeon brings her head back up toward Dahyun, planting a gentle kiss on her parted lips, “I’m- I’m sorry. I.. really do mean it this time.”

It catches Dahyun off-guard because: one, the most obvious reason being, Dahyun has never witnessed Nayeon apologizing to anyone, and two, the more subtle choice, being that there's now a foreign wetness on her cheeks.

Her eyes meet glassy, doe-eyed ones. Tears. From Nayeon herself. She’s _crying_.

“Miss Im? Are you okay?” When did her voice become so hoarse?

“I’m fine, I don’t have any idea as to why I’m crying though. It’s nothing..” She wipes the tears off with her hands.

“Do you maybe want to talk about it?”

Nayeon shakes her head, “I’ll spare myself the humiliation. You’ll only judge me for it.”

“I won’t. Believe me.”

“I just.. do you feel any resentment toward me?” Her mask comes crumbling down, flaking into rough ashes, “For the way I’ve treated you?”

Dahyun is speechless, searching for the right words to say, “It hurt, I’m not going to lie, but would you tell me why you care so much about the stupid system?”

“I didn’t know anything else when I was younger. My parents taught me that social standing was everything. I think I entirely lost myself in the process of trying to make them proud,” Nayeon gives out a dry laugh, “That was until I saw what my progress had reaped, then I didn’t think about it anymore. But my subconscious was still eating at me.” She’s not on top of her anymore, the intimacy fading into a different, equally intense emotion; of which Nayeon pours her whole heart out. “I don’t want to be like this, Dahyun. I’ve only awoken to this harsh reality when.. I met you.”

The use of her first name brings about a flip in Dahyun’s stomach, a deep shade of red appearing on her cheek, “I may not understand what you’ve been through, but I know that it's not too late to turn things around. You’re in charge of your own actions now.” Dahyun caresses her jaw as she leans on her side, “So screw the damn system.” And Nayeon.. she grins beyond her tears. Dahyun pulls her in, as if she’s done this a million times before, taking pleasure in her taste once more. It’s gentler, but even more passionate -- and Dahyun doesn’t mind the woman’s tears flowing down her cheeks.

Nayeon pulls away slightly, lips still against the other’s, “Screw the fucking system.”

///

And they hope, while they hold each other in their arms, that the walls weren’t too thin -- that would mean they’d have some explaining, or preferably, some excuse-making to do.

They’re lost in each other’s worlds, tangled in a mess of limbs as they doze off to the synchronized tempo of their hearts. 

In this journey they’ve collectively learned one thing and that is, sometimes, it’s okay to go against damn society, because they love each other goddamnit; screw the system and their ways -- love will always prevail in the end.

_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> This really took me a while to write asjdhakwf but I hope you guys enjoy some Dayeon crumbs <3
> 
> ///
> 
> Thanks to the amazing prompt by @aegenwvlf on Twitter <3  
> Find me on Twitter, too! @sugarsanayeonie


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